BCCI ignores Kapil Dev and Azharuddin

Bangalore, May 22: India's two former captains, Kapil Dev and Mohammad Azharuddin will not be part of Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) one-time payment scheme for former cricketers during Indian Premier League's (IPL) play-off games.

Kapil led India to 1983 World Cup glory in England, and Azharuddin, who played 99 Tests for the country and one time was India's most successful Test captain, before Sourav Ganguly over took him.

These two stalwarts of Indian cricket have been ignored by BCCI for various reasons. Kapil, who was involved with the now defunct Indian Cricket League (ICL) and did not take the amnesty given by the Board, now finds himself out of the list drawn for the one-time benefit scheme.

Azharuddin, now a Member of Parliament, was banned for life in 2000 for match-fixing and hence his name is also omitted by the Board.

Starting today, during the play-offs and IPL 5 final on May 27, BCCI will distribute cheques to former players. According to the Board's list, Kapil, who played 131 Tests, would have received Rs 1.5 crore. Azharuddin, with 99 Tests, would have got Rs 1 crore.

“Kapil (Dev) didn’t turn up when the BCCI offered amnesty. He has also not been receiving his pension as he was part of the ICL. We have not considered his name. In the case of Azharuddin the matter (life ban) is still pending in court,” Indian Express quoted a senior BCCI official as saying.

“We will be distributing the money to those who are really needy and those who represented India before the 1980s will receive the amount first,” the Board official added.

The BCCI had recently announced that around 160 domestic and international cricketers who have retired before 2003-04 would be awarded cash bonanza as part of it's one-time benefit scheme from the IPL surplus money, a gesture which would cost the Board Rs. 70 crores.

Under the BCCI's scheme, cricketers who have played more than 100 Test matches will get Rs. 1.5 crores while those who have played between 75 and 99 Tests will receive Rs. one crore.

Those who have played between 50 and 74 Tests will get Rs. 75 lakhs while those between 25 and 49 Tests will receive Rs. 60 lakhs. Cricketers who have played between 10 and 24 Tests will be handed Rs. 50 lakhs while those between one and nine Test matches and who have played their last international match before 1970 will get Rs. 35 lakhs.

Cricketers who have played 100 and more first class matches will get Rs. 30 lakhs while those who have played between 75 and 99 matches will receive Rs. 25 lakhs.

The One-dayers played by the cricketers will be added with three ODIs being counted as one Test match. But for this, the cricketer will have to play at least one Test